Plumber’s Note: If you read the initial post Six Stages of Thirst (just click the title for a refresher), you’ll recall it was ironically interrupted with a hands-on object lesson about running water and its tendency to soak everything in its path. Which can be a good thing if it needs watering. If it’s the carpet, pad, and semi-flooding conditions, that’s a different story and a whole lot of hard work, time, and energy. We needed a summer project, or so we try to convince ourselves!
This past week between part 1 and part 2, we lived, moved and had our being to the sound of a mighty rushing wind. Holy Spirit resides in our home, but in addition to Him, it was the jet stream of a dozen industrial fans and a couple of ginormous dehumidifiers drying out the two affected levels of our house. Thank God for homeowners insurance and professionals who were efficient and quick to our aid. The saga and next stage continues this week with the carpet peeps.
Speaking of stages – we have three more of the six stages of thirst to consider. Thanks for joining me as we paddle on. For a quick reminder, here are the first three again:
Stage 1: Dry Ground
Stage 2: Thirsty in a River of Plenty
Stage 3: Water Carrier to Others While Only Sipping for Oneself
In the watercourse of spiritual development, the next three stages are synonymous with ‘waters rising’. Kind of like the above photo where, if you can tell, that’s a bench by that deeply immersed tree trunk.
As one’s confession is made and belief in the crucified and risen Savior is chosen by faith, a new Spirit is imparted – the precious Holy Spirit of Christ himself. But dear reader, this is only the beginning! Paul in his prayer for the Gentiles (and the Ephesians in this passage) to whom he was sent to minister, prayed:
For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. – Ephesians 3:14-19 NIV
F.B. Meyer, in his commentary on Paul’s Ephesians 3 passage above, lays out a helpful comparison to these three ‘waters rising’ stages of thirst:
Faith opens the door to the Spirit; the Spirit reveals Christ; Christ fills the heart;
the heart begins to understand love; and love is the medium through which we
become in-filled with God, for God is love.
Stage 4: Waters Rising Within – In my own life, I recall a very thirsty season I was in over twenty-five years ago. Life is such that we each have unique things that drive us to drink. I’m not talking about hitting the bottle, but rather, being drawn like a magnet to that which will quench our spiritual thirstiness. For a long period of time I drank and drank from the fountain of reading godly truth others had written, and being ministered deeply to in my inner being as Holy Spirit brought scripture to life. He was so near. In fact, I have no doubt He was sharing the booth with me over my toast, coffee, and tears.
Two things were happening day after day in that ‘same time, same place’ I was committing to by habit:
Tears began to flow as I was drinking in healing truth full of grace, mercy and love. Sometimes they acted like a relief valve spilling over into my napkin, while other times they stayed contained within, softening and watering my dry ground. Simultaneously and more importantly, waters were rising within. I experienced for myself the first three stages and found that my faith, small and weak as it was, but so thirsty, had opened the door to the Spirit; and the Spirit was revealing Christ to me with every drink.
Stage 5: Filled with God – “…that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” – Ephesians 3:19
As Christ fills the heart and the heart begins to understand God’s immense love, the be filled process is occurring. I believe this being filled is not a one-time fill-up. In fact, these last three stages are so much a part of Holy Spirit activity that I liken it more to a spillway – filling, filling, filling to where it can’t contain another drop because it’s full, then the spillway opens and a virtual river of water comes spilling out.
Repeated over and over, the measuring line continues to increase. How far? For the purpose, hope and promise that we may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God!
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us. – Ephesians 3:20
F.B. Meyer concludes his remarks –
It is staggering to ask all this; but the God who works in us with such power is able to do more than we ask, more than we think – abundantly more, exceeding abundantly more.
Stage 6: Rivers of Living Water – Jesus himself said it best:
“He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said,
‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'” – John 7:38
Never stop believing in Him.
~ Nancy
photo credit: 85/365 Mar 26, 2011 via photopin (license)
photo credit: River Ouse, flooded bench, suitable only for ducks via photopin (license)
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